the week in review LOL

So we started our week with dinner with Uncle Neil at Oceanique - as always an really good meal.

then the next night we were at Oriole (see post - Starry Eyed)

and then the next night we were with the Chicago Gourmets at Emilio's (see post Before We Go Back)

and then last night we had a concert at City Winery - the group was Solas- and it was Phil's choice-
He liked them I thought they pretty much made everything sound the same- and I found it distracting to have the vocalist running on and off the stage all evening-

 
for the encore the sound man got to sing too (too bad they didn't feature him earlier- he had a lovely strong voice that actually was different than hearing the other (they pretty much all ended up jigs) music

This is a venue I really dislike- bad wine - mediocre food - people jammed into tables smaller than the chairs seated around them - if more than two people try to eat the plates don't fit on the table - and the cocktail list is extremely limited for those who don't want beer or (bad) wine.  They make it there- in the middle of Chicago (my Oregon winemaker friends I am sure shudder to read that sentence). My Dad used to make wine in the closet of the laundry room and I think the wine making at this facility is an expensive shiny version of that LOL.

so the week draws to an end and we ready ourselves for the next group of activities.... while we continue with planning for our future travel.  Our Venice to Istanbul by Private Train trip has been canceled for next year and so we are revisiting alternative destinations - meanwhile the website was built for that one and will be taken down (so if you want to see it I would suggest going now - LOL)

https://privatetrainjourney.shutterfly.com/

now it looks like we will be doing Wine & Food in Georgia (which is actually known for its wine- unlike City Winery) - See I can make it all come together in the end LOL!!!
Onward & Upward! So stay tuned....

the Hiram Bingham train

the journey began early when our driver picked us up to drive about an hour and a quarter to the place where we were to board the train.  the train is an all-inclusive trip with brunch on the way to Aguas Calientes and the tour of Machu Picchu (MP) and then tea at the MP Sanctuary Lodge and then return on the train to Urubamba town with dinner on the train- we would be due back in Cuzco at the hotel around 10:30.

the train did hearken back to an earlier era- an Orient Express run operation (like our ship "The Road to Mandalay" in Burma) it was all grace and elegance, even the toilets were nice...LOL

brunch menu:

pisco sours anyone?

the train tracks follow the Urubamba river- 

and drop the passengers off at Aguas Calientes to pick up buses up to MP from town-

after the tour of MP we had high tea at the MP Sanctuary Lodge (some passengers stay overnight there and return the following day- we chose the one day trip) - photos of MP in a separate post... then you get back on the train and have a leisurely dinner as you head back to Urubamba Town and your transport to Cuzco or a local hotel there...

 

we really weren't dong a trip to Peru or to MP so this was a perfect way to squeeze in the famous site for Phil (who had not been before) as we made our way - in a VERY roundabout manner - to Ecuador!